The Centre hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday afternoon after he claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not born into an Other Backward Class (OBC) community. Rahul, during his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Odisha, accused the Prime Minister of "misleading" people by identifying himself as an OBC member.

In a brief note titled "Facts Regarding Rahul Gandhi's Statement on PM's Caste," the government stated that the Modh Ghanchi caste (and the sub-group to which Modi belongs) "stands included in the Gujarat government's list of socially and educationally backward classes and OBCs."

"... After a survey in Gujarat, the Mandal Commission prepared a list of OBCs under Index 91(A), which included the Modh Ghanchi caste. The Indian government's list of 105 OBC castes for Gujarat has also included Modh Ghanchi," the government statement said.

Wayanad Lok Sabha MP Rahul remarked that people were being deceived about the Prime Minister's caste, asserting that Narendra Modi, who had confronted the Congress in Parliament a day earlier for allegedly being unfair to marginalised communities, was not born into an OBC family.

In fact, Modi, during his Lok Sabha address, criticised the Congress and the first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, accusing them of being the biggest hindrance to OBC upliftment. Modi, in his typical fashion, questioned whether the Congress could not recognise the biggest OBC (referring to himself) standing in Parliament. He mentioned a letter from Nehru to the then chief ministers.

"Nehruji used to argue that if SCs, STs, or OBCs were given reservation in jobs, government work standards would decline. He even halted recruitment. What Nehruji stated has become like 'set in stone' for the Congress since then. Your mindset can be understood through such examples," the PM criticised.

BJP leader Surath Biswal, an OBC, said Rahul Gandhi's statement showed his immaturity. "Modi belongs to the OBC. Congress has to answer why the Gandhi family put the recommendations of Kaka Kalelkar and Mandal Commission [for OBC reservation] in cold storage," he said.

The government also reminded the notification to include the sub-group in the list of OBCs was issued on July 25, 1994 - when Gujarat, Modi's home state, was ruled by the Congress.

"The same sub-group was included (in) OBC (list) as per a Government of India notification dated April 4, 2000. When both notifications were released Narendra Modi was not in power, and was not holding an executive office at the time," the government has said.

Rahul Gandhi's jab at the Prime Minister's caste comes as the government and the Opposition squabble over a national caste census - to which the ruling BJP, in the past, has been averse.